How to improve your outdoor space: build your backdrop

A garden is an ever-evolving part of your home, grown and tended through the years. Don’t expect to get it done all at once. Instead, focus on one or two projects a season, with a long-term plan in mind.

Build your backdrop 

If your outdoor space allows it, make a privacy screen with foliage, using evergreens like arborvitae to create a green wall. Turn a brick balcony wall into a green one with a trellis wrapped with climbing ivy, Virginia creeper or clematis. Use tall potted plants or a freestanding trellis as a screen to separate areas within your outdoor space. Think of your evergreens — boxwoods, juniper or holly — as the bones of your landscaping.

Anchor it with a tree

A tree can unify a landscape, and create a focal point for a space. Add mulch to the base and surround it with a stone border to give it definition. If you want a potted tree on a balcony or roof deck, make sure it’s one that can withstand the wind and is in a container large enough for it to grow.

Add layers

Now that you have your backdrop and focal point, layer the look with decorative plants. Use repeating patterns to give the space balance and continuity, and think about the long-term. Don’t over-pack your garden with flowers that bloom in the spring. Instead, choose a selection that will bloom throughout the year, like lilacs for the spring, hydrangeas for the summer and goldenrod for late in the season. Add some annuals like hibiscus and violets for colour all summer long. Consider not just colour, but texture, like lamb’s ear, which is soft and velvety, or ferns, with their intricate leaves.

Potted plants

Potted plants add colour, dimension and personality to any garden. Decorative planters can divide or define a space. Line the steps to your home with colourful ceramic pots filled with flowering annuals. Planters that live on a rooftop or balcony will most likely need to be assembled on site, and sturdy enough to withstand harsher conditions. Turn the wall of a tiny balcony into a lush vertical garden with hanging pocket planters, like those from WallyGro.

Edible gardens

You don’t need a large plot of raised beds to have an edible garden. Grow foods like tomatoes and herbs in pots on your balcony or roof deck. Nestle vines like squash in your flower beds to create a leafy border. Peppers and eggplants offer not just food, but vibrant colour and texture to your flower garden.

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